Stories for July 12, 2013

In a major victory for the anti-abortion movement, the Texas state senate passed a sweeping bill early Saturday that has become a flashpoint in the national abortion debate. Gov. Rick Perry is expected to sign it in short order.

In a late Friday afternoon statement, the mayor said he believes an investigation will "support my innocence." Shortly after, Councilmember David Alvarez called on the mayor to resign and said he reported to the city information on sexual harassment allegations regarding Filner.

Comic-Con has capped attendance at 130,000 for the last few years. It also has to limit the number of dealers and artists who have booths on the exhibit floor to about a thousand with at least a 3-year waiting period to get in. I spoke with exhibitors last year to get their perspective on Comic-Con and how it’s changed.

A third death has been reported in the crash-landing of Asiana Airline flight 214, as San Francisco General Hospital said Friday that one of its patients who was injured in the accident has died. Hospital officials described the victim as a girl; they offered no further details about her.

Earlier this week, we told you about some of the people who are trying to make micro-gardening go big -- by sharing their DIY tips and selling products designed to make gardening in a small space a piece of cake. Many readers of The Salt let us know they were all for it.

The women who were crowned Miss Indian America are reuniting this weekend in Sheridan, Wyo. The Native American pageant ran from 1953 to 1984 and attracted contestants from across the country. Originally, the pageant started as a way to combat prejudices against Native Americans.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced a tightening of Justice Department guidelines for dealing with the sensitive issue of subpoenas of journalists' communications, weeks after embarrassing disclosures that his office had secretly obtained phone records and emails from reporters as part of a probe of unauthorized leaks.

A Sabre Springs mom has something in common with Kate Middleton, the duchess of Cambridge: The rare pregnancy condition Hyperemesis Gravidarum. As the royal birth looms, she recalls her own experience with the potentially deadly condition.

There will be no military flight demonstrations at the Miramar Air Show this year. MCAS Miramar announced today the Pentagon turned down the base's request to use military planes in the show due to sequestration budget cuts. Officials are still deciding whether or not to cancel the entire show.

One of the two Chinese teenagers who died in the crash-landing of an Asiana Airlines flight Saturday was hit by a fire truck responding to the scene on the runway, police officials in San Francisco said Friday. But it remains uncertain if that accident is what killed the girl.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Opponents of same-sex marriage demanded Friday that the California Supreme Court immediately halt the practice that recently resumed in the nation's largest state after a nine-year legal battle.

In closing arguments Friday, George Zimmerman's defense sought to hammer home its contention that the self-styled neighborhood watch volunteer was defending himself when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a scuffle last February in a gated community in Sanford, Fla.

Saying that the post has been "the highlight of my professional career," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Friday morning that she is stepping down to become president of the University of California.

In a video statement to the people of his city, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner conceded Thursday that he has "failed to fully respect the women who work for me and with me, and that at times, I have intimidated them."

Nearly 17 months after the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin -- a death that would spark protests across the nation -- a jury is about to begin considering whether defendant George Zimmerman acted in self defense or should be convicted of murder or manslaughter.

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride Weekend festivities are scheduled to begin in Hillcrest tonight with the Spirit of Stonewall Rally, a flag raising and a block party.

When the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling, its decisions can carry weight for generations. Think about decisions in the civil rights era that overturned school segregation, or that upheld the Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama.

Soon, most Americans will have to buy health insurance or pay a fine. This sounds like a marketer's dream: Captive shoppers directed by the government to buy your product. But when the product you're selling is health insurance, there are some pitfalls. Your customers may not love you. In fact, they may despise you.